


Hoenn's Finest

by Ghostlyfluffster



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Detectives, Life is too short so I might as well spend it on the things that I like, M/M, if it means turning two science class drop outs into detectives then so be it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-09-21 09:45:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17041415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghostlyfluffster/pseuds/Ghostlyfluffster
Summary: Detectives and former partners Maxie Matsubusa and Archie Aogiri are reluctantly forced to partner up once again in order to solve a sudden crime spree in Hoenn.





	1. The Death of Rusty Tsutuji

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mysterious death of the Rustboro City gym leader forces Detectives Maxie Matsubusa and Archie Aogiri to reluctantly join forces as they try to figure out who is behind Hoenn's sudden spike in crime.

The rain pounded against the glass of the windows in a fashion that made it seem like the tiny drops of water wanted to be let in. The leak in the ceiling was providing some pretty good means for them to accomplish that potential goal as well. The only thing that stood in the way of the floor of the forensic lab becoming as fun and treacherous as a slip and slide was an old faded plastic bucket that one of the scientists had retired from its civic duty of holding the copious amounts of cleaning supplies that were found throughout the department. The endless sound of the drips from the otherwise silent room would have driven anyone insane given the correct amount of time. However, the three people in the room didn't seem to pay too much attention to the noise. Three sets of eyes were glued on the three screens before them. One screen held information from a complicated report, the next an equally complicated outline of a body with various notes and drawings attached to it, and finally, the last one had multiple images from various security cameras placed around one specific part of Rustboro City. The three sat in silence as they examined their different projects, each one intermingling with one another. 

"It's strange," the lady in the middle finally said. Her voice was soft. Even though the room was nearly silent, her voice could still barely be heard. 

"There were obvious signs of a struggle on the body but none in the gym or the surrounding areas," the tall and slim man sitting next to her said, finishing her thought for her. 

"That's correct...So why would so much effort be placed into cleaning the area of the fight up...There was no way that this head injury...occurred on accident...Surely the perpetrator knew that." 

"We most certainly are not dealing with an idiot," the tall man who was sitting in front of the screen with the complicated report said and then stood up. The other two eyes turned to look at him. "Everything this person is doing is done to throw us off track. However, this person clearly does not understand the intelligence and skill of the great Maxie."

"Of course they don't, Boss," the other, larger man mumbled. His eyes were fixated on the security cameras so it was hard to say exactly how much of his boss's ramblings he was listening to. 

Maxie raised a brow at his words, his face highly unamused. "Have you been able to find anything of interest, Tabitha?"

"Nothing yet." So he was listening. "Considering the body was found a couple hours after the supposed time of death, there's a lot of footage to go through."

"Well, pick up the pace. The sooner this case is closed, the better. Same goes for you, Courtney," Maxie ordered and clasped his hands behind his back. 

"Yes sir," both of them said in unison with a severe lack of enthusiasm. It couldn't be helped. They have been going at this all night and they haven't had the chance to go to the staff room to get another five cups of coffee to help them make it through this case. 

Maxie turned to leave, but stopped before he could take a step when he heard Tabitha's voice. "Where are you headed off to, sir?"

Without further hesitation, Maxie casually strolled to the door. "Out. Keep your nose on the case, not in my business." Even without turning to look at the man Maxie already knew that he deflated, but that is only what he gets for asking something like that.

"Yes sir..."

Without another word, Maxie exited the dreary room and headed down the corridor. One of the lights flickered above head. Maintenance has been meaning to fix it for around a month at this point, but it certainly didn't take Hoenn's best detective to see that it wasn't going to be fixed until it goes out. Maxie was half tempted to destroy it so he could go on and get it replaced, but he didn't have the time nor the effort for such a task. 

His hands unclasped and he let one dangle by his side while the other pulled a pack of cigarettes out from his back pocket. It's been a long and stressful day. He needed something to calm his nerves. He placed one in the corner of his mouth just to make good use of his time.

His hand was placed on the handle of the door leading to the smoking area outside, but a voice calling his name stopped him. Normally he would throw his head back in irritation, but he forced himself to not take things to that extreme this time. The voice didn't belong to Tabitha or a low ranking officer. Instead, it was his boss, Chief Jenny Junsar. Most people simply called her Jenny, but Maxie wasn't given that privilege. Instead, she was Chief Junsar to him. 

Chief Junsar was an aged, intimidating lady. The wrinkles on her face were probably worsened due to her permanent scowl. Her once fun and bright short teal hair was now gone and was replaced with a mixture of greys and whites. She looked as though she was only a month away from retirement, but Maxie knew that he wasn't going to be able to get rid of her for another few years. 

"Detective Matsubusa. It's funny running into you here. I was just about to call you into my office," she stated.

Maxie had to do everything in his power not to roll his eyes. "It's a little past eleven and time for my routine smoke break. You're normally clocked out at eight. You can just say you were waiting for me. I won't get offended in the slightest."

"As observant as ever, Matsubusa, but just so you know today has been one helluva day. I need to discuss some things with you."

"Those things will be discussed after my break."

"I could do you one better and sign a pink slip to give you a permanent break from your job. Office, now." Chief Junsar strutted off without him, knowing that she would see him in a minute or so anyway. Once she was out of sight, Maxie felt free to throw his head back and run a hand through his dulling red hair. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and returned it to the box it came from. He was so close, yet so cigar. Well, cigarette, in this case. 

Chief Junsar's office was only down the hall, but walking such a distance felt like agony when all Maxie wanted was a brief ten minute break to stop and collect his thoughts. The glass door was ajar and the blinds to the windows looking out at the office area were closed even though there were only a few souls in the area this late at night. Since he was summoned, Maxie went in without knocking and closed the door behind him. He's been here enough to know the drill. 

The chief was already sitting down in her comfy office chair and Maxie took a seat across her organized desk. 

"What has you and your team found today?" she asked, propping her elbows up on the table with interest. 

"Cutting right to the chase, huh?" Maxie mused, but the look on Chief Junsar's face told him she was in no mood for small talk. Neither was he, most of the time. He honestly just did it to piss her off more often than not. "Well, let's go over the basics, shall we? The victim was Rusty Tsutsuji. The time of death was around midnight or so last night in the office of his gym, but his body wasn't discovered until earlier this morning by one of his trainers when they came in for work. The cause of death appears to be head trauma caused by a blunt object, possibly by one of the fossils he had in his office. None of them showed any signs of being tampered with though, but we are also unclear if any have been stolen. The trainers were distraught when I attempted to collect information from them. They wouldn't have known red from blue if I asked." 

"So you've found nothing."

"I'm not finished. Courtney found traces of blood and skin under his fingernails along with bruises on his chest, back, and arms. There was a struggle, and during struggles things tend to be knocked down, turned over, so forth and so on. His office, as well as the rest of the gym, showed no signs of a struggle. Everything seemed to have been in its proper place. Either our culprit killed him elsewhere and dragged his body back to the office, which I doubt, or the office was straightened up in order to cover up whatever they stole from it." Maxie shifted in his seat and crossed one leg over the other. "It's always somewhat easy to tell what the culprit is looking for if the area is left in shambles, as strange as that seems. If everything is in order, then it makes things a little harder to find where the objective was directed to."

"Have you looked into the possibility that this wasn't a robbery gone wrong? Rusty is the city's gym leader, after all. He has been bound to make some enemies during his years of battling. Perhaps someone took their loss to the extreme?" Chief Junsar questioned and Maxie leaned in a little closer to the desk. 

"That is a possibility, yes, but my gut is telling me that there is something more to this case than simple cold revenge. This is the first time I have ever heard of a gym leader being attacked, let alone killed."

"Your gut better be leading you to some solid evidence, Matsubusa," Chief Junsar warned, her harsh eyes narrowing. "The sooner we close this case, the better. Rustboro is an important city for trainers and businesses alike. All of Hoenn is looking at us right now, and how we handle this case could either make or break us."

"I'm very well aware of this, yes. My team is just as aware. We will have the evidence we need here soon, and once we do we will be able to find the culprit and put all of this behind us. It has only been less than a day, Chief Junsar. We will work tirelessly until our job is finished."

"I believe you, but I also believe that due to the nature of this case we may need a little bit of outside help."

Outside help? Maxie raised a curious eyebrow. "Are you saying that we're not doing an efficient enough job for you?"

"Not at all, Matsubusa. You're one of Hoenn's finest. One of. So I pulled some strings from the other departments around Hoenn and managed to get my hands on another one of Hoenn's finest just to speed this process up."

Maxie stared at her, honestly offended that she would do such a thing. "I can only do so much within the first hours of a case. Given a little more time-"

"Time we can't afford to lose. We know the basics but nothing else. We need to work quickly and efficiently before something like this happens again. Since we don't know the underlying cause of this murder, the culprit could be plotting his next kill for all we know. Two heads are better than one, so come tomorrow morning you will have an addition to your team. One who will assist you in the field rather than sit behind a computer screen all day."

"So you set me up with a partner without even consulting me? You know I work better alone in the field."

"Save that brooding mentality for when you write a cop drama. The circumstances around this case are mysterious, but more importantly dangerous. The buddy system is more important now than ever before. If you don't like it, I have a pink slip with your name ready to be written on it," she threatened. Two pairs of stern, icy eyes were locked on one another. Maxie grit his teeth and Chief Junsar scowled. How Maxie hasn't already been kicked off the force by now will probably be the biggest mystery of them all. 

Finally, seeing that he was at the losing end of this, Maxie leaned back in his seat as a silent retreat from this unwinnable battle. "Does my 'partner' have a name?"

"Yes."

Chief Junsar didn't go on with an explanation. It was too late and Maxie was too tired for these little games of hers. "May I have it?"

"Under better circumstances, yes, but given your behavior I've seen from you tonight I'm withholding that information until tomorrow when he arrives."

"And how the hell is that supposed to be beneficial to anyone?"

"It's beneficial to me because you won't be able to dig up information on him tonight in an attempt to find problems with him. The less whining I hear, the better." She threateningly wagged a pen his direction. Maxie clenched his fist out of her sight. "Now, unless there's anything I need to know, then you're free to go."

Maxie didn't hesitate to stand up from his seat. He was dying to get out of her office from the moment he stepped foot in it, but now he had all the more reason to want to leave. "I gave you all of the information I currently have on the case. Once I learn more, you will be the first to know. Now, if you will excuse me, I will finally take that break."

"And be sure to get plenty of sleep, Matsubusa," Chief Junsar called as he opened up the door. He didn't bother looking back at her. "Tomorrow if going to be a long day for all of us."

Since he didn't care enough to carry on the conversation, Maxie left. He took his cigarette out and went on and lit up as he strutted to the door. There wasn't much he could say against his boss, but that didn't mean he wasn't allowed to be extremely pissed about the whole thing. He by no means considered himself a lone Mightyena. It was hard to say exactly where he would be without the vigorous labor of Courtney and Tabitha. But they knew they places. He didn't need some outsider coming in and ruining the system they have in place. 

Besides, this was his case, he thought as he pushed the door open and stepped outside, immediately being greeted by the breezy night. He didn't need an outsider coming in and telling him how to handle HIS case. He was going to get the credit for this, and the credit from a case like this could prompt a promotion in the future. 

Maxie kicked a rock out of frustration before sitting down on the worn iron bench. It was by no means comfortable, but it was the only place to sit behind the police department. If taking away comfort was trying to deter the staff away from smoking, or Arceus forbid vaping, then it wasn't working. It was more like an inconvenience than anything else. An inconvenience like being paired up with a mysterious officer. Maxie respected Chief Junsar, he really did, but some of her decisions have been questionable in his eyes. He didn't blame her for looking at options while they were dealing with a case as extreme as this one, but the Rustboro City Police Department is more than capable of handling this. 

The moon hung high in the sky, reminding Maxie just how tired he was. Chief Junsar was right. He should get some sleep to deal with the long day that was undoubtedly waiting for him tomorrow. However, this was one order he wasn't going to listen to. He had work to do before the outsider came in and inevitably ruined it. 

With the length of the cigarette growing short, he tossed it on the ground and stomped it out. It was hard to think of anything related to the case during his break since Chief Junsar dropped that bombshell, but he needed to get his focus back on track. He couldn't afford to roll around in a puddle of pity any longer. Someone was murdered and he, the great Maxie Matsubusa, was going to be the one to solve this case. The door slammed behind him as he walked down the corridor and back to the lab where his team was set up.

"It's going to be a long night you two," he said upon entering.

"That was only to be expected, sir," Tabitha said without looking away from his computer screen. Courtney, however, didn't follow in his example. She turned to look at Maxie, then adverted her gaze to the floor. 

"Should I...fetch us some coffee?"

"Please do," Maxie responded and took his seat in front of his computer. He tucked his red strands of hair behind his ear and adjusted his glasses. He was officially ready for the long night to come. 

///////

"Maxie...sir?" 

"Hm?"

Maxie didn't want to be awake. He didn't even realize that he fell asleep at his desk until now when he felt the soft hands of his assistant gently and hesitantly shake his shoulder. He rubbed his face and didn't even bother to stifle a yawn. His eyes were still tired and heavy and his body screamed for a comfortable bed to lay in if only for five minutes, but even his tired mind knew that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Maxie sat back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair, part to brush it with his fingers and part to get it out of his face. 

"Maxie sir..." Courtney repeated, now backing away from him to give him some space as he came to his senses. She knew he wasn't a morning person and would she never liked to be on his bad side. Since she was the one who woke him up, she knew she had to be careful. "Jenny has requested for you to...come to her office."

"Mhhm...It's too early for her bullshit," Maxie groaned and rubbed his face with his hands. "What time is it anyway?"

"Nearly eight, sir. She is significantly early to clock in today. Her voice...it sounded like she had important matters to discuss."

"Joy." Maxie threw his head back and decided to not fight his hair any longer. It wasn't worth the effort. He simply pulled it back and tied it in a short ponytail using a hairband he always kept in his pocket. His mother always told him that a man in his line of work didn't need long hair, but he liked it when it wasn't in the way. "I'll be with her in a moment."

Maxie stood up and stretched out, allowing his back to pop in the process. Already he needed a smoke, but he also really needed some coffee. Chief Junsar can wait, especially if she wanted him to be somewhat functional during the meeting. "Say, Courtney," he said and turned to her. Her unreadable eyes looked at his for a split second before shifting to look past his shoulder. Eye contact has never been one of her strong suits and Maxie wasn't going to force it. She was attentive and that was really all that mattered. "Have you been here all night as well?"

"Yes sir."

"How long have you been awake?"

"Well..." she paused, now turning her gaze to the ground. "Nearing twenty-six hours, sir. This case...we need to close it as soon as possible...like you said. Tabitha left shortly after you fell asleep...he will be back soon. I went over the footage and found some rather...interesting clips from them. I can show you when you return...if you wish. I also looked over the body and notes once more. There was...unfortunately, nothing of interest to note for the time being. I apologize, Maxie sir. I can-"

Her words were paused when Maxie held up his hand. "Send me the footage and then go home. I don't need to get into any more trouble with the chief about keeping my team on the clock during all hours of the day. That, and I need you to be at the top of your game if and when I find further evidence that needs to be examined. Go home and get some actual rest, Courtney."

Courtney was hesitant. Such behavior was only natural for her, but the way she tugged on the bottom of her shirt told Maxie that she didn't really like the orders. Although she never seemed to need rest, Maxie knew better than to believe it. He's caught her pouring coffee into the small plants on her desk thinking it was water, after all. 

"Courtney."

"Yes sir. I'll...do that immediately." She nodded in agreement. It was reluctant agreement, but Maxie wasn't going to call her out on it. Without taking a seat, Courtney turned her attention the her computer screen and began dragging files around. Maxie trusted her to follow through on her word and left the quiet lab. As soon as he stepped out into the hallway, he felt the PokeNav in his pocket buzz with a notification. He assumed it was Courtney, and his suspicious were confirmed when he checked. As much as he wanted to see what she had found now, he had more annoying matters to deal with. 

This time, Chief Junsar's office door was closed. Maxie gave it a knock before letting himself in. 

"You know you can't sleep in the station every night," Chief Junsar said without looking up from her paperwork. 

"And I don't."

"More often than not counts." She glared at him through her reading glasses before setting them on the top of her head. Maxie forced himself not to glare, but his look wasn't friendly in the slightest.

"Did you call me in here so I can meet What's-his-face?"

"Glad to see I didn't hire a moron for a detective position. Yes. He will be with us momentarily. I sent him to check out his locker as well as the complimentary coffee in the lounge while we waited for you to wake up. If it weren't for your purple haired assistant I would've dragged you in here myself."

"Oh, well how thoughtful," he said dryly and took a seat in one of the chairs across from her desk. 

It wasn't but a long and silent moment later that they heard a knock on her door. Both sets of eyes looked that way as the door opened up and a man stepped into the room. The sight of the man made Maxie's eyes go wide. 

The man was tall and muscular, and the tight fitting black t-shirt only made that even more apparent. If it was made out of a really cheap material that shirt would have been torn to shreds the moment he tried to move his arms. His jaw was lined with a black, neatly trimmed beard but the thick hair on the top of his head seemed to have been untameable. A scar in the shape of a jagged X covered the area between his eyes. Outside of the scar, Maxie knew those features all too well. 

"Aye, Jenny, the coffee in this place ain't too...shabby..." His words began to trail off when he saw the red head in the room. Maxie's green eyes were locked on his blue, both pairs wide with surprise before narrowing. Maxie stood up, a scowl quickly spreading across his face. The other man's light expression turned hateful real quick as well. 

"Archie?!"

"Maxie?!"

"You two...know each other?" Chief Junsar asked, back and forth at the two. Once the staring contest was over with, both men turned to look at the chief. 

"I'm not working with him!" they both said in unintentional unison, which made them glare at one another for another solid ten seconds before looking back at the chief. 

"Oh, this is going better than what I expected," Chief Junsar groaned. "Take a seat. Now, men." The air in the room had turned thick and heated as the two followed orders. "So, you two have a history?"

"Unfortunately," Maxie answered coldly. 

"Let's just say we didn't necessarily see eye to eye on a lot of things when we were partnered up in Slateport," Archie added.

"Well, this isn't Slateport anymore, men. Both of you are grown ass adults and I can't afford to waste any time on finding other partners for you two. This is a new slate, so I hope that you two are mature enough to use it to your advantage."

"With all due respect, Chief, pairing us up will only hinder the case," Maxie tried to reason with her. "Just let me handle the investigations on my own and send this brute back to Slateport."

"Or, I can take over investigations and you can go home while a real pro handles this," Archie countered and Maxie grit his teeth. Chief Junsar slammed her palms against her desk, causing both men to slightly jump in their seats. 

"I don't care what happened between you two. You two are highly intelligent and capable of doing this job better than anyone else in the region. But, if I see that you two are unable to complete your jobs due to whatever bitter feelings there are between you two, I will personally throw you and your shit out of her with my own hands. Got it?" Both men nodded. "Good. Now, we have a murderer to find. Go on and get out of my sight until you find something useful."

With that, both men stood up and left, not wanting to spend another minute in that room. There was no reasoning with that woman. Maxie's fists were clenched and the look in his eyes could kill. Archie closed the door behind him and faced off with the shorter man. 

"We may be stuck together, but that doesn't mean we're equal in this. This is MY case, and if you try to interfere or take any and all glory from me then the coroner will have another body to deal with," Maxie threatened. Archie rolled his eyes. 

"Oh please. There ain't no way you could solve this all on your own. I'm pretty sure that's why I was called in so suddenly. I know what I'm doing, so step down before I make ya."

"Absolutely not! You are in my turf now, so you can either go along with me or get out. I would actually prefer it if you got out now regardless if you agreed with my methods or not." Maxie stomped off and Archie followed. 

"Yeah, no. Ain't gettin' rid of me that easy. I got a job to do, and I'll be damned if you keep me from doing it."

"In that case, say hello to the devil for me."

"You'll see him soon enough."

Maxie rubbed a hand against his face, oh so desperately wanting to groan out of frustration. He had to keep his cool though. Archie wasn't going to get the best of him. He refused to let such a thing happen. "Okay, look. I hate this just as much as I hate you, but my reputation is not going to be ruined because of this idiotic partnership. We'll take a cruiser to the gym and from there we will conduct our own investigations. The less I see of you, the better."

"Aye, aye."

Maxie's scowl deepened as he grabbed a set of keys from a lock box on the wall. "Stop that. This isn't Slateport."

"In your dreams. Now, since I'm the more skilled cop here I should drive." Archie held out his hand for the keys even though both of them knew damn well Maxie wasn't going to hand them over. 

"In your dreams, Archie," Maxie said and twirled the keys around on his finger. 

Maxie has only been awake for half and hour and today was already proving to be the longest day of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Only one chapter in and I'm already looking forward to writing this fic. I know the idea behind it is kind of strange considering that these two are bad guys and by no means would follow this career route in their lives, but sometimes the formula has to be mixed up a lil' bit, y'know? Hopefully you as the reader enjoy it as much as I do. Feel free to leave any questions/comments/concerns in the comments or send me an ask at authorazumarill.tumblr.com! That's my blog where I post updates, answer questions, and sometimes post behind the scenes actions for my fics.
> 
> Next time: Investigations are interrupted by a child and her Slakoth.


	2. The Girl in Search for a Skitty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archie and Maxie find some things of interest inside and outside of the Rustboro City Gym.

The drive to the gym was silent. Unlike the silence that normally fell in his lab, the silence in the car was thick, heavy, and very uncomfortable. It has been approximately five years since the two have last seen each other, and those five years have probably been the best and the worst five years of the duo's lives. Of course, neither would know the accomplishments of the other since they refused to look each other's way, let alone speak. Dishing out the silent treatment was a norm for Maxie. Courtney and Tabitha have been on the receiving end of such a cold and harsh treatment more than once when the man gets into one of his infamous moods, but for Archie, Maxie couldn't remember a time when he was this quiet. Every second the air was filled with his voice. Even when the large man was sleeping soundly his snores would be enough to drive anyone insane. But then again Archie used to say the same thing about Maxie and how he could be compared to a malnourished Snorlax. Sharing a bed turned out to be a problem for that one reason, among many others. 

A lot has changed during those five years, that's for sure. 

It was a shame that both men were in such foul moods. They had so much catching up to do. Maxie wanted to know why Archie was considered one of "Hoenn's finest." Back when they were partnered up in Slateport he had a hard time differentiating between right and left without looking at his hands, and now the man was on his level? He also wanted to know what kind of hair brained scheme Archie had gotten himself into to get that nasty scar across his face. For once, Maxie was grateful for his cold rage. If it had not been for that, he probably would have found himself staring at it, which would have only led to Archie making a snarky remark, and that would have led to Maxie shoving his gun down Archie's throat. Still, that didn't stop him from taking quick glances at the other.

The drive to the gym was short, but it felt like ten eternities. Maxie parked the car and quickly climbed out. Just like Chief Junsar's office, he didn't want to spend any more time trapped in a car with Archie than necessary. However, that didn't mean he was entirely rid of the man either. Archie was by his side once again as they flashed their badges to the officers on scene and climbed over the caution tape the rookies had used to block the area off. It looked like the Rustboro City Gym was going to be unavailable to trainers for a while. 

Finally, Maxie couldn't take it any longer. Archie was approximately five feet away from his person, but even such a distance was too close for Maxie's tastes. "Don't you have anywhere else to be? Like hunting down witnesses? Or better yet, back in Slateport where sailor scum like you belong?" Maxie spat and Archie rolled his eyes.

"Nice to see you're as affectionate as ever. I don't know about you, but I'm going to do my job and investigate the scene. A lot of things aren't adding up and I was called in to figure out the sum of the parts."

"Oh? So you've stopped jumping to conclusions on a split second's notice? My, we really have been out of touch." Maxie clasped his hands behind his back and picked up the pace a little bit as they entered the main entrance of the gym. 

"An' I really liked it like that." 

Just like the images Maxie has stared at practically all day yesterday, the Rustboro City Gym appeared to be in one piece. Since the leader was fond of Rock type Pokemon and fossil excavation, it was only fitting that his gym was lined with his collection for the trainers to see. Every gym leader was cocky in some way, shape, or form, and it clearly showed. They were also pretty overrated, but that was just Maxie's bitter opinion considering he was never able to defeat one back when he attempted to go on the famed "trainer journey."

As Maxie's eyes scanned over the layout of the battlefield, Archie broke away from his partner. Good, Maxie thought. It was about time he had some space from the brute. However, as Maxie's eyes followed the other, his frown only deepened and his pace picked up to meet him once more. "And where do you think you're going, Archie?"

Without stopping his stride, Archie turned around to look at him with confusion and annoyance. "I'm gonna go outside, take a nice lil' walk, maybe pet some of the feral Skitties roaming around-where the hell do you think I'm goin'? I'm gonna check out Rusty's office since that's where we're pretty sure he died. Beats standin' out here gawkin' around."

"You gawk. I observe. Any detail could be what we need to find the culprit, or culprits."

"Yeah, but a lot of them just waste our time."

"You have never been one to complain about wasting time," Maxie scoffed and puffed up his chest a little bit as he clasped his hands behind his back. Archie was much broader than him, as well as a few inches taller as well, so Maxie's cold gaze was really the only thing he had going for him in terms of intimidation factors. It worked well on Tabitha and Courtney, but Archie...he was always a different ball game. 

"I normally ain't, but I figure the sooner I solve this case, the sooner I can get rid of your sorry ass."

"Oh, I want to get rid of you as soon as possible as well, but I believe you're forgetting something here." Once they reached the fine metal door leading to the late gym leader's office, Maxie stuck his arm out to prevent Archie from going any further. He stepped in front of Archie and looked at his former partner in the eyes, icy green meeting deep blue. "This is my city and this is my case. You are merely an inconvenience that I will have to deal with for the time being."

"Says the guy holdin' off the investigation by giving me a lecture. You can stay on your high Rapidash all ya want, but the fact of the matter is we ain't gonna get shit done if ya keep this up." Archie stepped to the side but Maxie stepped with him. The larger man threw his head back and groaned. "An' you call me the immature one any chance ya get."

"Because you are."

"Max, move."

"Maxie, mind you," he corrected. 

Archie rolled his eyes. He was fed up with this game. Not only did he refuse to to give Maxie the satisfaction of winning, but he also refused to play this stupid game to begin with. "Move," he ordered again, this time much more irritated.

"Make me."

"Whatever you fucking say." Archie clasped a hand on Maxie's shoulder and pushed him off to the side. Maxie knew he wasn't the strongest man in the world, but he was also capable of holding his own. He wouldn't have gotten the job he currently had if he was some kind of scrawny pushover. However, Archie's strength clearly hasn't faltered over the years. That push was enough to knock Maxie out of the way, and it it had not been for the aid of a display case flaunting off well preserved fossils, Maxie probably would have ended up on the floor. 

As much as Maxie wanted to rip Archie's head off using his own two hands, the man managed to contain his boiling blood. He straightened himself up and adjusted his glasses. "Asshole."

"You started it," Archie mumbled as he entered the office of the late gym leader.

"Oh, what a real mature thing to say," Maxie quipped and followed close behind Archie. 

"Max, stop it."

"Maxie."

"Whatever. Shut up."

The office was well put together considering that approximately a day ago it housed a dead body. The only evidence that remained of the event was the blood stain on the floor, which had been marked off by other officers who have been working on the scene as well. The gym was filled with fossils in display cases, but in the personal office of the late gym leader, the fossils were on display in an open shelf. Given the fact that there wasn't a stray piece of shattered glass on the floor as well as a shaken up witness account that nothing looked out of order, it was safe for Maxie to assume that such displays have always been open and weren't previously protected by glass. 

Maxie's blood was boiling hot. It made it practically impossible to concentrate on the investigation with Archie in the same room as him. He scanned over the display, but every little sound Archie made when he opened up the drawers to the former gym leader's desk made Maxie's sanity grow smaller and smaller. He shouldn't be this angry. He knew this rage was irrational. Archie was doing his job for once in his life. In fact, Archie seemed to have changed a lot over the years, but that didn't stop Maxie's loathe for the man. 

From the desk, Archie went over to look at the displays on the other side of the room. Copycat, Maxie thought as he continued to look for anything that might lead them to a clue. The investigation didn't stop him from stealing glances over to Archie though. The man seemed to have obtained a third brain cell over the years because he looked deep in thought. Finally, Archie looked over his shoulder and Maxie quickly turned his head back to the fossils to make it seem like he wasn't interested in his former partner at all. 

"Hey Maxie? Got a question for you."

"What." he spat, but was nonetheless interested. Maxie wasn't expecting much though. Perhaps Archie was going to tell him that his shoe was untied or his ass was just has bony as he remembered it. 

"Since you're a big nerd for rocks and shit, you know a thing or two 'bout fossils, right?"

Maxie blinked. He certainly wasn't expecting something like that to come out of Archie's mouth. He coughed into his fist to make up for his hesitation, then turned around to face the other. "I'm quite knowledgeable on the subject, yes. Why do you ask?"

"Because I miss you nerding out on me," he replied deadpan. "Why the fuck do you think? I think I'm onto somethin' here but I don't know enough about fossils to justify it. Get over here."

Maxie rolled his eyes but nonetheless strolled over to Archie's side. Before Maxie could make a quip, Archie spoke again. 

"All of the fossils here are the same, right?"

"I don't think that it necessarily takes an expert to differentiate between a claw fossil and a root fossil," Maxie scoffed, but just to humor him he looked on the display and nodded. "Yes. All of these are dome fossils, aka, the prehistoric Pokemon Kabuto."

"Okay, an' what about these?" Archie asked and gestured to the display beside it. 

"Helix fossils, or otherwise known and Omanyte."

Archie did this for all of the displays he examined, purposefully skipping over one in the middle. Maxie was too irritated to notice. All of the displays were in order both by species, and that was painfully clear when they reached that Kalosian fossils. 

"The man liked to keep his collection organized," Maxie concluded. "What did this accomplish, exactly?"

"You said it. The man liked to keep his collection organized. Even out in the glass displays all of the fossils were grouped up by species and no other way. So, how do we explain this?" He went back to the display in the middle and gestured to it. The fossils were aligned neatly on the shelf, just like the rest of the displays, but instead of a specific species, different fossils were placed in different spaces. 

"I could understand if the guy ran out of room or somethin' like that, but he had everything in order. The Kantonian fossils were right next to each other, then the Hoennian, so forth and so on. Here, all of the fossils are all mixed up. There's a jaw fossil next to a claw, then an armor fossil next to a dome. Basically everything's out of whack," Archie pointed out. 

Archie was right.

Archie was right and Maxie wanted to throw some fists. It was obvious now, and if he wasn't so frustrated with this whole scenario he would have figured it out all on his own. He clasped his shaking fists behind his back to prevent him from carrying out his impulsive urges. He was better than that. He was professional. 

Maxie took a step back and took a look at the displays. It took a lot of energy to push his hatred for Archie aside, but he made it work. He needed to concentrate. They were organized by species and region. Dome, helix, the fuck up shelf, claw, root...

Then it hit him. 

"Kanto has five prehistoric Pokemon. Kabuto and Kabutops, Omanyte and Omastar, and then Aerodactyl. If this is ordered how we think it is, then an old amber collection should be on the shelf rather than miscellaneous fossils. But then again, old amber is known as one of the rarest fossil in the world. However, I doubt that a collector such as Mr. Tsutsuji would not have that in his collection."

"If it's so rare, you would think that he would have it locked up tight," Archie said.

"Right, but then again, this is his personal collection. No one other than himself and his trainers are allowed in this room, and even then the gym trainers normally have to have special permission before they enter the leader's office. The young lady yesterday said that she was hesitant to enter his office to begin with. She only did so because he wasn't in the front and wasn't answering his PokeNav. So now, that leads to another question-" As Maxie spoke, he walked over to the door. There was no sign of a forced entry. "How did our culprit get into this room?"

"Maybe it was someone who had access to the room like a gym trainer?" Archie offered. "They would've had Rusty's trust, so they could've said they needed to talk to him, he let them in, and that's when the show went to shit. Have we talked to all of the trainers?"

"WE haven't, but my team and I have," Maxie retorted. "There are five trainers in this gym. One has been in Johto for the past week and proved it via photo evidence, one has been in the hospital for three days after a nasty car accident and has not been conscious ever since he was checked in, and the other three had alibis and matched up. Everyone I talked to was also shaken up by the news. Courtney is an expert in behavioral analysis, and she concluded that their reactions were genuine. We can rule them out."

"Since when have you been one to rule anyone out?" Archie scoffed. 

"Believe it or not, but I have learned from my past mistakes," Maxie spat out, then snapped his fingers to get Archie's attention, as if he didn't have it already. "Now focus. We were getting somewhere." 

"Right..." Archie stroked his beard as he thought about it. They were beginning to find pieces to the puzzle, but even then it was hard to say where they went, or even if they were pieces to the puzzle they were working on. "It couldn't've been a challenger since the time of death was way after closing hours. Or maybe someone thought they could get some special treatment with a late night battle?"

"I would have to ask one of the gym trainers, but based on everything I've read on the man he was soft hearted toward challengers. However, that doesn't match up with the surveillance footage I've seen. No one had stopped at entrance of the gym between closing time and the time of death. Everyone who entered the building also exited at a reasonable time."

"But there's more than one way into the place. Did ya check the surveillance in the back?" 

"Tabitha has and noted nothing of importance."

"Well I think it can't hurt to take a look myself," Archie concluded. He headed for the door but Maxie blocked the way. "Arceus, what now?"

"I'll go and take a look in the back. You can talk to the gym trainers to confirm my theory that he did indeed have at least one old amber in his collection," Maxie ordered. Archie rolled his eyes. 

"How 'bout this? You can stop being an absolute bitch and I can do my goddamn job. I like that plan much more. Besides, based on how things were going in here, I'll be able to find something that you overlooked."

Maxie cold glare became much colder as he looked at the other. Archie's intimidating nature didn't scare him in the slightest. They could continue bickering, but Maxie had had enough. "You couldn't even tell fossils apart." While it wasn't the strongest thing to leave on, if anything it was pretty weak, it was something. Archie couldn't have the final word in their argument, after all. With that being said, Maxie turned and left the room. His hands were balled up in fists and hidden in his coat pockets. One hand brushed against the package of cigarettes tucked away from the world. He needed a break. Just something to calm his nerves. However, the stress that Archie manages to put him under couldn't be temporarily forgotten about with one measly cigarette. A carton might do the trick. Might. 

Hurried footsteps followed closely behind. "And where the hell do ya think you're going?" 

"To inspect the back entrance, like I said I would," Maxie replied, irritated but collected. "I thought you were supposed to be one of Hoenn's finest investigators. I mean, I did make my intentions very obvious."

"You're absolutely impossible," Archie groaned, still following him much to Maxie's displeasure. 

"It's the other way around, Archie. If you weren't so impossible we would be in a completely different situation, now wouldn't we?"

"Oh, don't try an' blame everythin' on me. I thought you said you learned from your mistakes an' all that."

"I did and I have. Placing blame on you is no mistake." The walk to the back door seemed like it was never ending, but finally, a metal door came in sight and Maxie flung it open. He sincerely hoped that it was heavy enough to slam into Archie as the man went through the doorway, but his hopes were too grand since it didn't happen. 

The back of the gym was much less inviting considering that no one could see it. The buildings on the opposite side of the street blocked the view and created a wide alley way that spanned a few buildings. Something frantically hit one of the metal trash cans. Both men grasped one of their Pokeballs, but a moment later a skinny Skitty climbed out of the bin with a pizza crust in its mouth. 

"Don't act so high and mighty, Maxie. Look. I'm over it. I'm over us and I'm over what happened in Meteor Falls."

"Of course you are," Maxie mumbled. He was outside and away from the scene. The only person around to judge him was Archie, and frankly, he didn't care about any of the man's opinions. He caved and pulled the pack out of his pocket. Archie's eyes were supposed to be looking around the alley, but Maxie caught his gaze as he lit up. 

"So you picked that back up again, huh?"

Maxie rolled his eyes and put plenty of space between him and Archie. "What about it? You have your own habits I wasn't a fan of."

"If you're talkin' about me and Mr. Jack Daniels, I haven't seen him in 'bout a year."

That statement caught Maxie by surprise. "So did you finally sober up or did you find another drink to be fond of?" he asked with disinterest. 

"First one. Hard to believe, ain't it?"

"Certainly is, but I'll take your word for it. I don't care enough to see if you're actually telling me the truth." 

The back of the building was very barren. There wasn't even so much as a window that someone could have climbed through. Maxie planned on testing out the door, but Archie beat him to the punch. Based on how the man was tugging on it, it locked automatically after it closed. The lock was sturdy as well considering Archie couldn't get it to even so much as budge. There was no sign of a forced entry on that door either.

"No easy way in here," Archie mumbled. "But possible." He walked over to the trash can that the Skitty popped out of and gently nudged it with his foot. 

Maxie could see the wheels turning in Archie's head, but his own wheels were turning faster. "It's possible that our culprit waited in the shadows. Perhaps when the custodians took out the trash, they kept the door propped open and that was the opportunity the culprit needed." He looked up and noted the surveillance cameras from the gym and the surrounding buildings. "It makes sense, but I haven't seen anything of the sort from the tapes I've inspected."

"So that means we've hit a wall."

Both men were quiet not from cold rage, but rather they were too busy thinking to talk. Archie explored the alley while Maxie stayed in place, flicking some of the ash from the shrinking cigarette. There were only two ways that the culprit could have gotten in with plenty of ample opportunities from either side, but the security footage said otherwise. But then again...Courtney did say she found something interesting on the tapes. Archie had been so distracting Maxie had forgotten about that. 

He pulled out his PokeNav and was about to open up her email, but a high pitched, yet short squeal caught him off guard. It made him jump and nearly drop his device, but he managed to catch it before it hit the ground. "What the hell, Archie!" Maxie called out even though the noise didn't sound like anything the man could produce. Rather, it sounded like something from a child. 

"Hey, hey, easy scamp," he heard Archie say, but where exactly proved to be a temporary mystery. There were much narrower alley ways between the buildings that all led to the one he was currently standing in, so there wasn't a doubt in his mind that Archie had wandered in to one of those. Maxie threw the remainder of his cigarette on the ground and stomped it out before following the sound of Archie's voice. It sounded...comforting. It was a tone he remembered all too well and wished he didn't. 

Maxie didn't have to venture out much further before Archie emerged. This time, he had company. The source of the squeal must have been from the small girl at his side. She stood just a little below his chest. Her light brunette hair swung around slightly as she looked around nervously. In her arms was a sleepy Slakoth. Its furry arms were wrapped around her neck and its legs around her waist. Just like how it was clinging to her, her arms were wrapped around the creature's back. 

"What's going on here?" Maxie asked, albeit impatiently. The girl looked up at Archie and he gave her a friendly smile and a pat on the back. 

"Go on. You ain't in trouble or anythin'." 

"I was, uh, I was trying to find a Skitty. She looked hungry and I just wanted to give her some food but she kept on running away from me. I promise I wasn't trying to do anything with the gym! I know a lot of bad stuff happened and I wasn't trying to mess with that, promise! I was just trying to give a Skitty food and love, y'know, everything that Skitties deserve," the girl pleaded. 

Maxie rose a brow and looked up at Archie, who simply shrugged his shoulders. 

"You're not gonna throw me in jail, are ya?" she finally asked. 

"Well, you did cross the police tape into an active investigation-" Maxie started but Archie cut him off real quick with a glare. 

"Ignore him. You were just tryin' to help a lil' Skitty, so I think we'll let ya off the hook. Just don't do it again, a'ight? There's a reason why we have all of this blocked off," Archie explained calmly and the girl nodded. "Awesome. Now, do ya need some help gettin' back to your mom and pop?"

The girl shook her head. "No, it's alright. I know where my dad is. He's in a boring meeting over by the building next to the trainer school. I think he's talking about who's gonna be the new gym leader. I told him I liked Roxanne the best, but he probably won't listen to me and pick someone lame."

Maxie probably would have looked five years younger if suspects overshared liked this little girl did when he went to interrogate them. "If you don't mind me asking, who is your father?" he asked. 

"Norman Senri. He's the new gym leader over at Petalburg! Well, kinda new. He's been there for like a year, so I guess he's just the gym leader now. And I'm May," she stated, now seeming to relax since she wasn't in trouble. Both of the men exchanged curious looks, however, Archie's was a little more on the worrisome side. 

"Well May, I'm Detective Maxie Matsubusa and that's Archie Aogiri. Now, I don't doubt your capabilities of getting to your father by yourself, but I think it would be better if we did serve as your escorts," Maxie said. Clearly, he isn't an expert in handling children. However, that wasn't much of a job requirement and what was required of him he lied about on his resume. 

Now it was Archie's turn to see the wheels turning in Maxie's head. They could sit around here and bicker about how the culprit got in the building all day, or they could make some use of their time and see what other gym leaders have to say about the situation. If they were correctly understanding May, a few of the leaders must be in town. At least Norman was, and honestly that would be enough for them. Surely the gym leaders had a group chat in place they could use if worst came to worst. 

"Yeah, we can take ya there," Archie agreed. "You can even ride in the back of our car. Sure beats walkin'."

"Is it a cop car?" she asked with the upmost importance. 

"Yep. It's not even just a boring cop car. It's one of the cool SUV ones," Archie said and started to make his way out of the alley. May stayed close by his side and nodded along to what he was saying even though Maxie really doubted she was old enough to know what exactly an SUV was. 

After taking one last glance at the barren alley, Maxie followed the two. As much as he hated Archie, he had to appreciate the man in one aspect; he was a talker. He was always able to handle the social aspects of their job while Maxie handled the more cognitive aspects of it. It was an excellent strategy.

Maxie shook those thoughts from his mind before more specific memories could form. Now wasn't the time to reminisce on old times. A man was murdered, after all. That should kinda be at the forefront of his mind. He ducked under the police tape that blocked off the alley and unlocked the vehicle for the two who were much further ahead of him. 

Hopefully this trip would prove to be worthwhile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading! Sorry the update took so long but the holidays happened. Also, please don't judge the weak ass clues. As much as I love the mystery genre I'm horrible with actually writing it, but hey, we're all gonna die one day so I might as well have fun with it and tell a story I wanna tell regardless of the weak ass Nancy fucking Drew clues I'm dishing out. Feel free to leave a question/comment/concern down in the comments or send me an ask through my fanfic blog authorazumarill.tumblr.com! I love hearing and chatting with you guys!
> 
> Next time: Gym leaders can't be normal people. That would make everything way too easy for the duo.


End file.
